Ever since Andrew Jackson led a revolt against big banks and the East Coast oligarchy, populism has been a powerful strand in American politics. The clash between those who represent entrenched power and those who resent it has rivaled the tension between liberalism and conservatism in defining American campaign showdowns. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, like many of their predecessors, rode to power by tapping the electorate's anti-Establishment streak.
At first blush it would seem difficult for most of the class of '88 to cultivate such furrows of frustration. George Bush, Robert Dole, Richard Gephardt, Michael Dukakis, Albert Gore and Paul...